Scotland boss keeps an eye on Derby County left-back Craig Forsyth

CRAIG Forsyth’s form for Derby County is being monitored by the Scotland international set-up.

National team boss Gordon Strachan was at the iPro Stadium on Monday night to see the 24-year-old left-back help the Rams beat Queen’s Park Rangers.

Strachan’s assistant, Mark McGhee, has confirmed that Forsyth is on the radar.

McGhee also saw Derby in FA Cup action against Chelsea last month.

“We’ve been watching lads at Derby – not so much Craig Bryson, but Craig Forsyth,” said McGhee.

Bryson has won two caps for Scotland and has been in recent squads but Forsyth has yet to represent his country.

Born in Carnoustie, his career started at Dundee and he also had loan spells at Montrose and Arbroath before he signed for Watford.

He joined Derby on loan in March and made 10 starts before his move was made permanent in the summer.

Forsyth has been ever-present this season.

On Bryson, McGhee admits there is plenty of midfield competition in the Scotland squad.

Strachan and McGhee are keeping an eye on Ryan Fraser at Bournemouth, Scott Arfield at Burnley and Kevin McDonald of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

McGhee said: “To a degree that’s an area where we’re quite well off at the moment with Scott Brown, James Morrison and Charlie Mulgrew playing in there and Shaun Maloney to come back in, and I’d say Bryson is slightly ahead of those trying to get in.”

Derby skipper Richard Keogh did his chances of earning another cap for the Republic of Ireland no harm at all with a dominant display against QPR.

Ireland’s management team of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane watched the game and also saw midfielder Jeff Hendrick and striker Conor Sammon come on as substitutes.

Keogh has played twice for the Republic, Hendrick four times and Sammon nine.

Derby’s under-21 fixture against Coventry City at Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium scheduled for yesterday was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.